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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
Faculty of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz
tel: (+42 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+42 2) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 225, Friday, November 29, 1996.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (November 20-27)
81 Senators Elected in Historic Vote
Only 30.36 per cent of registered voters decided the victory of the
ruling coalition in the second round of Czech Senate elections November
22-3. Of the four whose chairs were assured in the first round, three
were Civic Democratic Party (ODS) candidates. Although ODS took 32 seats
of the 81-member Senate, more had been expected following the party's
success in the first round. The disappointing follow-up is frequently
interpreted as a united move against ODS. "A certain informal front was
created in the attempt to prevent ODS from getting a marked Senate
majority," political scientist Petr Fiala told Czech daily MF DNES
November 25. The smaller coalition parties will hold approximately 20
seats. All seven of the Civic Democratic Alliance's (ODA) candidates
were elected, a victory for ODA against ODS.
Thirteen of the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak Peoples'
Party's (KDU-CSL) candidates were elected from the 17 districts in which
they were campaigning. The Social Democrats (CSSD) maintained their
status as opposition leaders, with 25 of 48 remaining candidates
elected. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) placed two of
four candidates in the Senate.
Union leader Richard Falbr, who ran as an independent on the Social
Democrats' ballot, and Trebic Mayor Pavel Hermann of the Democratic
Union (a party not represented in Parliament) were also elected. Some
formerly well-known faces thus returned to the Czech political scene
- Czech Prime Minister from 1990-92 Petr Pithart (KDU-CSL) and Czech
Ambassador to the US Michal Zantovsky for (ODA) were elected. Other
personalities including post-revolution Czech National Council
Parliament Dagmar Buresova and Tomas Jezek, the first privatization
minister, were not.
The lowest voter participation in the Senate elections was
registered at 17.5 per cent in Karvina, with the highest rate of 46 per
cent in the Prague 10 district. CSSD continued its tradition of voter
favor in eastern Bohemia and southern Moravia, while the only non-ODS
candidate elected in the capital was Zantovsky. Only nine seats are held
by women. Jitka Seitlova of ODA showed the second round's highest voter
preference, garnering 73 per cent of her district's votes.
A more detailed account of election results can be found at
http://www.volby.cz.
Karolina Cebrovska/Andrea Snyder
We're All Winners Here
President Vaclav Havel told Czech daily Pravo November 25 that the
Senate composition reassures him that "it can truly be a stabilizing
element of our constitutional system."
Of the lesser coalition partners, KDU-CSL broke out the champagne
and ODA began playing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" when election results
were announced. Political scientist Jiri Pehe attributes the greatest
victory to KDU-CSL, to Chairman Josef Lux and his tactics. ODS Prime
Minister Vaclav Klaus said "the victor is clearly ODS, and another is
the government coalition. Another topic of discussion is of who improved
(relatively) the most." ODS representatives most often attribute their
weaker second-round showing to warnings from Social Democrats and ODS'
coalition partners against a one-party Senate. The Social Democrats,
with their embarrassing 25-seat tally, were still relatively satisfied,
because their prospects had looked even dimmer after the first round.
Matej Cerny/Andrea Snyder
Who Will Chair Senate?
Now that the second round of Senate elections is complete, everyone
is talking about who will lead the Czech Parliament's second chamber.
Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux says the Senate chairman should be
an independent, which points in the direction of former prime minister
Petr Pithart, who ran on Lux's party's ballot. ODS boss Vaclav Klaus
announced his party's nomination as Deputy Mayor of Zlin Irena Ondrova.
ODA responded to the bid by saying that it would make its own proposal.
Ambassador to the US Michal Zantovsky presents a generally favored
possibility, should ODS's proposal not pass.
The Social Democrats will not nominate any of the their members for
the position. "When the head of the government is a member of ODS and
the head of Parliament is a member of the Social Democrats, KDU-CSL
should have the Senate leader's seat," said Social Democrat Chairman
Milos Zeman.
Bohdana Rambouskova/Andrea Snyder
President Vaclav Havel Will Undergo Lung Surgery
President Vaclav Havel was hospitalized due to his protracted lung
inflammation at the Third Surgery Clinic of the General Faculty Hospital
in Prague November 25. This move was decided by a group of physicians.
Next week Havel should undergo lung surgery, which should help
doctors find out why, with the help of a biopsy, his lung inflammation
has not improved.
Chief Surgeon Pavel Pafko refused to divulge any information
regarding the president's condition. The biopsy should determine whether
Havel is merely suffering the after-effects of an infection or from
a circulatory disease or a tumor. Although Havel said he is "disgusted
and tired of the evil and ugly virus coursing through his body," and was
required to cancel all his plans, he remains in contact with his office
and the country's leaders. Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Foreign
Minister Josef Zieleniec visited Havel November 26. They said Havel
appeared to be in good spirits.
Lenka Javurkova/Milan Smid
Fire in Litvinov Refinery
An extensive and destructive fire broke out shortly after midnight
November 22 in an oil refinery in Zaluzi u Litvinova. The flames, which
in the end were extinguished by 35 firefighting units from northern and
central Bohemia, reached heights of 100 yards (80 meters) and their
glare was visible dozens of miles/kilometers away.
It took firefighters until midnight November 23 to get the blaze
under control. The fire had threatened the refinery's massive gasoline
stores, which had to be constantly cooled. At noon November 24, when the
fire seemed to be out, another explosion of leaking gasoline occurred,
and the following fire took some hours to extinguish.
No lives were lost in the fires, though almost 20 firefighters were
injured, mostly with minor burns and smoke inhalation. Thanks to timely
intervention, local residents were not threatened and thus evacuation
was not necessary.
Damages likely totaling hundreds of millions of crowns were caused,
and in addition to marked losses of equipment, 1,500 tons of gasoline
burned. Because of the transfer of fuel production to Kralupy nad
Vltavou, the fire will result in shortages of or a rise in the price of
heating fuels.
Jaroslav Schovanec/Michael Bluhm
Ludvik Kalma Dies in Accident of Skoda Octavia Test Model
Ludvik Kalma, Chairman of the Board of the Mlada Boleslav car
factory, died November 24 in the newest Skoda car model, the Octavia
SLX. He became the first man who lost his life in the car, which had
been put on the market only two weeks before.
Kalma's car collided with a Scania truck on the E-55 highway near
Horusice. The truck was entering the highway from a side road and
probably its trailer brakes malfunctioned, leaving the truck standing
across the highway. The Octavia driven by Kalma crashed into the truck
and then a Peugeot 406, in which the driver was not hurt, ran into the
Octavia.
The 55-year-old Kalma, the father of three children, died
immediately. According to daily Lidove noviny, Kalma was only testing
the Octavia and for test cars the speed limit is not valid. TV Nova and
TV Premiera said Kalma was going at a speed of 100 mph/160 kmph. The
police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Lucie Vackova/Mirek Langer
Stehlik And Son Arrested
Vladimir Stehlik, General Director of Poldi Kladno Steel, and his
son Marko, Managing Director of the firm, were arrested November 26.
State investigators charged them with misuse of business information
connected with the privatization of Poldi Kladno. They face a maximum of
12 years in jail.
Vladimir Stehlik denied the charges on a videotape recorded in
advance, and their lawyer, Milan Hulik, is going to file a proposal to
stop prosecution.
Stehlik's Bohemia Art won the 1993 public tender for a two-thirds
share in Poldi Kladno and promised to pay 1.75 billion crowns for the
position. However, at the end of 1995, it did not make the final payment
of 750 million crowns, and National Property Fund reacted with legal
proceedings to cancel the privatization contract. Shortly after this,
some creditors suggested to put Poldi Kladno and Bohemia Art into
bankruptcy. Vladimir Stehlik established a new company with the
English-language name Poldi Steel and transferred most of the
steelworks' property to it.
"During the time of the Stehliks' activity in Poldi (Kladno), they
were transferring finances to Bohemia Art as non-interest-bearing loans,"
Jaromir Flegel of the Office of Investigation said for Czech Television.
Bohemia Art owed Poldi Steel 780 million crowns at the end of last year
and saved about 650 million crowns by not paying the interest. Poldi
Kladno also guaranteed payment of Bohemia Art's billion-crown loan. The
investigator also stated the transfer of 8.5 billion of Poldi Kladno
property to Poldi Steel was illegal.
Jiri Fremuth/Magdalena Vanova
Charges against Former Antidrug Committee Chief Not Confirmed
Recently removed General Secretary of the Inter-ministerial
Antidrug Committee Zdenek Poslusny is innocent. Experts of the Office of
Government made the announcement after investigating Poslusny's part in
the doping affair among top Czech athletes in the 80's (see Carolina
221, 223).
Poslusny is only a member of the committee today and the post of
chief has been temporarily occupied by Tomas Tesar of the Health
Ministry. A new competition for the office of general secretary will be
arranged and Poslusny could return if successful in the competition.
Michal Schindler/Magdalena Vanova
Worldwide Study Brings Out Knowledge of Czech Pupils
Thirteen-year-old pupils from schools chosen at random for TIMSS
research from the entire Czech Republic placed sixth in mathematics and
second in science. Only the math scores of pupils equal in age from
Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Belgium were better. Seventh
place, just after Czech children, was taken by Slovaks. Many western
nations fell behind, e.g. French (13th), German (23rd), English (25th)
and American (28th). The results of the study were published in the
Czech press.
In science, only pupils from Singapore surpassed the Czechs.
Slovaks placed 13th. As regards like and dislike for these subjects,
Czech children hate them more than do any other students polled. Half of
Czech pupils do not like math and 56 per cent of them do not like
science. In both cases it was the highest percentage.
According to Ivan Pilip, Czech Minister of Education, the results
prove that there is no need for radical changes in these subjects, but
it is necessary to ask ourselves whether education is overloaded with
facts.
Libuse Kolouchova/Jan Majer
Explosion in Ostrava Hospital Kills Two Women
On November 26 two cleaning women were killed and a third seriously
hurt in the explosion of a still unidentified material in the Fifejdy
Hospital in Ostrava. The explosion shook the basement of the dermatology
section of the hospital. The police are investigating a variety of
scenarios (incorrect handling of some material, an intentionally placed
explosive). According to another version, the explosive was hidden in
a plastic bag one of the women found in the hospital and brought to her
cloakroom. There the bag would then have fallen and exploded.
President Vaclav Havel and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus expressed
their profound grief. According to them, it is not out of the question
that the explosion was a terrorist attack.
Michaela Klevisova/Denisa Vitkova
Czech-Slovak Customs Union Commission Fails to Reach Agreement
On November 25 negotiations of the Customs Union Commission broke
down in Prague, though they were to discuss Bratislava's scheme to
introduce quotas on important agricultural products and foodstuffs
imported from the Czech Republic. An extraordinary session was therefore
called for December 20.
Experts claim that by introducing quotas on margarine, beer, sugar,
non-alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and other goods, Slovakia is
preparing for the elimination of import duties, which will be dropped as
of January 1. According to the Agrarian Chamber, Bratislava wants to
protect its own goods, which are more costly to produce.
Neither did the November 25 meeting come to any decision on a new
agreement concerning mutual recognition of regulatory certificates.
Slovakia insists on applying the regulations in effect in the
importer's country, while the Czech side wants to allow on the market
automatically any product which has already been approved for the market
in the other country.
Jana Wiesnerova/Andy Faust
FROM SLOVAKIA
Government Office Returns Accreditation to Journalists
The press department of the Slovak Government Office returned
accreditations to four journalists November 22. These accreditations had
been taken away from them three days before that (see Carolina 224),
because they did not confirm the statements of Premier Vladimir Meciar
that they had discussed his health with President Michal Kovac at a May
29 meeting.
The Slovak Syndicate of Journalists recalled its boycott of Slovak
government press conferences after the return of the accreditations.
Jan Potucek/Katerina Zachovalova
Students from Presov Prepared to Strike
Students of Presov's P.J. Safarik University (UPJS) expressed their
disagreement with the amendment of the University Law with a one-day
strike. According to the amendments, university departments were
supposed to become independent the next year. About 1,000 students met
in the auditorium of the Presov College Complex. Students are afraid of
losing advantages in comparison to their colleagues from Kosice, because
they will now graduate from a school which has no name in the world.
Students from Presov are also supported by their colleagues from
Trnava University (TU). According to student representative in the
Academic Senate of TU J. Macharik, Trnava students will enter strike
readiness in case the strike in Presov does not change anything. Strike
emergency at UPJS lasts until December 6.
According to dailies Praca and SME Jan Potucek/Katerina Zachovalova
Carnogursky Still Christian Democratic Movement Chairman
Jan Carnogursky was elected for another term as chairman position of
the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) at the annual party
congress in Banska Bystrica November 23. Fighting economical specialist
Mikulas Dzurinda, Carnogursky gained 214 of 344 votes. Dzurinda was
elected economic vice-president.
KDH, which had gained 10.1 per cent of votes in the 1994 elections,
plans to establish a coalition in the framework of the recently founded
Blue Alliance (KDH, Democratic Party, Democratic Union) and together
enter the 1998 elections.
Jan Potucek/Katerina Zachovalova
ONE-SENTENCE NEWS
* The opening of the play And After That Behind the Fence (A potom za
plotom) by Stano Radic and directed by Jaroslov Filip was successfully
opened in Bratislava's Studio S (President Michal Kovac was also
present).
* Protesting against the participation of German conglomerate Siemens
in finishing the Mochovce power plant, a boycott of Siemens, Bosch and
Osram products started in 22 countries November 26 (until now 590
organizations have joined the boycott it written form).
Jan Potucek/Katerina Zachovalova
ECONOMY
MARKETS AND COMPANIES
* While the Senate elections did stimulate a share-price rise on the
Prague Stock Exchange, on November 26 the index already began to show
signs of stagnation. After that session the PX 50 stood at 514.6. The
daily trading volumes on the central market recorded no improvement, as
they remained steady at an outrageously low 80 million crowns,
indicating that the lion's share of transactions continue to take place
outside the public markets.
* An aggressive group connected to Ostrava's Union Bank (Union banka),
one of the country's few solvent private financial institutions, is not
content with merely absorbing less successful domestic competitors (see
Carolina 221), but it is also planning to expand into the Polish markets
through the Industrial Bank of Lodz (Bank Przemyslowy Lodz), which it
took over following privatization by the Polish Central Bank. Union Bank
is controlled by the Chemapol Group.
* The Commerce Bank (Komercni banka) and its investment fund IPF KB
gained control of a well-known carp hatchery - the Trebon Fishery
(Rybarstvi Trebon). Major changes in ownership of fisheries were
reported in Carolina 219 in October.
* The initially low-profile Eastern Bohemian company Opatovice Power
Station (Elektrarny Opatovice) is evidently setting out for the top of
the Czech energy industry. Following the take-over of a controlling
share of Prague Heating Corporation (Prazska teplarenska) it also
obtained shares in Eastern Bohemian Energy (Vychodoceska energetika), in
which it will attempt to gain substantial influence. Entrance into other
companies in the field is obviously in the works. The Opatovice Power
Station is the largest independent producer of electricity in the
national power grid of CEZ. The company, controlled by the investment
funds of Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) and the Commerce Bank,
earned 660 million crowns of pre-tax profit in the first three quarters
of this year on earnings of 1.8 billion.
Martin Cermak/Andy Faust
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from November 29)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Great Britain 1 GBP 45.378
France 1 FRF 5.198
Japan 100 JPY 23.814
Canada 1 CAD 20.075
Austria 1 ATS 2.508
Slovakia 100 SKK 86.800
Germany 1 DEM 17.640
Switzerland 1 CHF 20.849
USA 1 USD 27.048
ECU 1 XEU 34.038
SDR 1 XDR 39.169
CULTURE
Pianist Dyemidyenko Performs
Thanks to the invitation of the FOK Prague Symphony Orchestra,
Russian pianist Nikolai Dyemidyenko gave three performances in the
Rudolfinum Hall November 21-3.
In his first two concerts, Dyemidyenko performed with the
accompaniment of the FOK orchestra, the Ecstatic Poem and Fis-moll
Concert of Alexander Skriabin, who, according to FOK Conductor-in-Chief
Gaetano Delogu, belongs among the founders of 20th-century modern
classical music. Besides these works, the second symphony of Jean
Sibelius was also on the program. The final night was reserved for only
the Russian artist, who introduced in his soloist recital the
significant but not-often-played composer John Field, as well as Franz
Schubert and remarkable variations of Robert Schumann.
Nikolai Dyemidyenko, who has been living in Great Britain since
1990, ranks among the world's top pianists. He has received awards and
had been invited to perform all over the world. Dyemidyenko recorded for
the Hyperion company the works of Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninov. For
recording Tchaikovsky's and Skriabin's piano concerts with the BBC
orchestra, he received the Classic CD Award in 1994.
Ondrej Slavik/Denisa Vitkova
Exhibition of Felix Jenewein at St. Agnes' Convent
Works of Felix Jenewein, an important but often overlooked Czech
painter of the second half of 19th century, are on view at the National
Gallery in the St. Agnes of Bohemia Convent from November 13 to January
9. The exposition is part of a cycle celebrating the anniversary of 200
years from the founding of the National Gallery. This is an enlarged
version of Jenewein's exposition in Kutna Hora, where the painter was
born.
Jenewein studied at academies in Prague and Vienna, and his
teachers were representatives of the Rubens and Nazarens schools of
historical painting. The style of Nazarens influenced Jenewein most in
his early years, though later his works became closer to the contemporary
Art Nouveau style. His monumental composition reached its height in the
Plague cycle, an apocalyptic social metaphor transposed into a medieval
epidemic.
The exposition is unique - Jenewein's works cannot be seen
elsewhere, not at any permanent exposition of the National Gallery. The
paintings must be placed in a dark place at depository because they were
made using techniques that could be damaged by light.
Jaroslav Schovanec/Jan Majer
SPORT
Czech Hockey Extraleague
Results of the 22th round: Vitkovice - Trinec 6-0, Slavia - Plzen
3-6, Jihlava - Olomouc 2-3, Zlin - Opava 5-1, Litvinov - Vsetin 4-3,
Ceske Budejovice - Kladno 2-3, Pardubice - Sparta 2-4.
Results of the 23rd round: Sparta - Slavia 3-6, Opava - Vitkovice
3-3, Trinec - Olomouc 3-1, Plzen - Zlin 1-2, Ceske Budejovice - Jihlava
3-1, Kladno - Litvinov 2-2, Vsetin - Pardubice 4-3.
Standings after the 23rd round (not complete because of postponed
Sparta matches - see Carolina 220) : 1. Vitkovice 31, 2. Vsetin (-1)
28, 3. Trinec (-1) 27, 4. Pardubice 26, 5. Kladno (-1) 24, 6 Budejovice
23, 7. Litvinov 23, 8. Sparta (-4) 22, 9. Zlin 22 10. Slavia 21, 11.
Plzen (-1) 20, 12. Opava (-1) 16, 13. Olomouc (-1) 16, 14. Jihlava 13.
Czech Soccer League
Results of the 14th round (November 22-4): Olomouc - Sparta 0-0,
Plzen - Zizkov 1-1, Brno - Teplice 0-0, Drnovice - Budejovice - O-3,
Bohemians - Opava 1-2, Ostrava - Hradec 2-0, Slavia - Jablonec 2-1,
Liberec - Karvina 1-0.
Standings after the 14th round: 1. Liberec 28, 2. Slavia 25, 3.
Drnovice 24, 4. Budejovice 23, 5. Ostrava 22, 6 Sparta 21, 7. Brno 21,
8. Opava 21, 9. Olomouc 19, 10. Jablonec (-1) 18, 11. Teplice 16, 12.
Plzen 15, 13. Hradec Kralove 12, 14. Karvina 12, 15. Zizkov 10, 16.
Bohemians (-1) 8.
WEATHER
During the last week, the sun shone for probably the last time this
year. A few clear but cold days showed fall in a different way than the
customary clouds and rain. On November 25-6, winter started to approach
and snow fell in several places in the Czech Republic. The fresh snow
caused a few problems on the roads and surprised drivers. The weather
forcast says the snowy weather will last a few more days.
Ondra Provaznik/Magdalena Vanova
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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program will be offered twice a year in Central and Eastern European
Studies, with a selection of courses in modern history and recent
political and economic developments in the region. Some courses are also
available in German. For further information contact Cyril Simsa at:
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Phone-- 42/2/2481 0804
Fax-- 42/2/2481 0987
When e-mailing, please include a regular mailing address so an
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